Correct Sitting Method for Office Chairs

The correct sitting method for office chairs requires comprehensive adjustments in terms of seat height, body angle, lumbar support, arm placement, screen viewing angle, and regular breaks to reduce physical stress and prevent strain.

1. Seat Height
   The seat height should ensure that your feet rest naturally on the ground, with the angle between your thighs and calves maintained at 95 to 100 degrees, distributing your body weight evenly. If the chair is too high and your feet are left hanging, use a footrest for support. If the chair is too low, increasing pressure on the knees, adjust it so that your thighs are parallel to the ground and your knees are bent at 90 degrees, ensuring your buttocks fully contact the seat to avoid localized pressure.

2. Body Angle
   Maintain a slightly reclined posture, with the angle between your back and the chair back at approximately 100 to 110 degrees, allowing your entire back, especially your lower back, to fit snugly against the chair back and reduce lumbar pressure. At the same time, keep your upper body and lower body at an angle of 80 to 90 degrees, ensuring your back maintains the natural curvature of the spine in an upright position and avoiding excessive forward or backward leaning.

3. Lumbar Support
   Prioritize chairs with adjustable lumbar supports, adjusting them to the area between the third and fifth lumbar vertebrae to support the natural forward curve of the lumbar spine, making you feel that your lower back is firmly supported. If there is no lumbar support, add a lumbar cushion to the chair back or use a memory foam cushion, with the thickness suitable for maintaining a slight forward curve of the lower back, avoiding a hollow lower back or excessive indentation.

4. Arm Placement
   Adjust the height of the armrests so that when your elbows hang naturally, your forearms can rest easily on the armrests or desktop, with the angle between your upper arms and forearms close to 100 degrees. When your arms are placed flat, keep your forearms parallel to the ground, ensuring that your arms are bent at 90 degrees when sitting, reducing tension in the shoulder, neck, and upper limb muscles.

5. Screen Viewing Angle
   The top of the computer screen should be level with or slightly lower than your eyes by 10 to 15 centimeters, with a distance maintained at 50 to 70 centimeters, avoiding looking up at a high screen or looking down at a low screen. When your eyes are level with or slightly lower than the top of the screen, keep at least an arm's length distance to reduce cervical spine pressure.

6. Regular Breaks
   Avoid sitting continuously for long periods. Get up and move for 1 to 2 minutes every 30 to 45 minutes, performing micro-exercises such as hip joint stretches, lower back releases, shoulder opening exercises, or actions like cervical spine backward tilts and scapular contractions to promote blood circulation and relieve muscle stiffness.